Controller for electric motors.



'T. VARNEY. CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

APPLIOATlOH FILED JAN.7.19 11.

1,036,754; Patented Au 27, 1912.

' UNITED STATES PATENT oFnroE.

" mononn vAnNnY, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, as I'eNon To WESTINGHOUSE nnnc'rnrc AND MANUFACT RING COMPANY, A oonronA'rIo or PENNSYLVANLA.

' CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

a ucanonniea January 7, 1911. .Serial No. 601,826.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tnnononn VARNEY, a-oitizen of the United States, and a resi-- dent of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegiieny and State of Pennsylvania, have inveiited a :new and useful Improvement in iontrollers for Electric Motors, of which the 'fol'lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to controllers for electric unotors, and it has special reference to auto-starters afor poly'phase induction motors.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the above-indicated character which shall be simple and compact in con.-

' st-ruction and effective in operation and shall embody a' split .core structure having coiiperating stationary and movable core members which are adapted to perform the double function of serving as the core structure for the usual auto-starter windings. and also as an automatic no-volta-ge release mechanism.

Heretofore, provisions have been made for automatically releasing -the operating handle of an auto-startfir and for disconnecting the .motor from-:the supply circuit conductors in case of a failure of (voltage while the motor was running under normal conditions' However, such apparatus has always taken the form 0d? auxiliary devices which have required additional space and attention and have necessarily increased expense and involved more or less complicated wiring.

According to 'my invention, I provide a split core structure for .the usual autostarter, one member of which is .movable and normally separated from its cooperat- 40 'ing stationary member and adapted to be brought intocontaot therewith when energy is first supplied to the auto-starter windings, in accordance with the usual manner of elcctromagncts. Upon the completion of the magnetic circuit, the customary autotransformer action is established and the autofstarter serves its usual function in an old 'and familiar manner, whereby a reduced voltage is applied to the motor for starting purposes.

' The operating handle of p the switch, which is usually. associated with an auto-starter, is biased to its central or neutral position and a restraining uneans is associated therewith for latching the handle in its full running position under normal conditions of voltage. If the voltage upon the auto-starter winding fails or is reduced sufficiently to allow the movable core m e mher to drop into its normal position, the. 69 operating handle of the Switching deviceis released and the switching device is opened, thereby disconnecting the motor from the supply circuit, so that no injurious results occur whenline voltage is restored.

. 6 Figure 1 of the accompanying-drawing is a dia rammatic view .offi-csmtrol system embodying acontroller constructed inaccordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 isa perspective .view. ofthe controller mecha- 7 nism, parts being broken away. v Referring to the drawing in detail, a polyphase electric motor 1 receives energy from a polyph-ase sup ly .circuit 2--34- and 5, through a contro .ler or auto-starter 6 which comprises a peculiar type of autotranstormer 7 a switching device 8 and an operating mechanism 9. The motor 1 is a two-phase induction motor having a primary winding 10 and arotorll of the squirrel-cage type and is constructed in a manner familiar to thoseskilled in the .art.

The auto-transformer 'Lc omprises a split core structure 12 and sub-divided trans: former windings 13 and 14,-said core struc- 5 ture comprising a stationary member 15 and a movable member 15 which is normalv' separated from the stationary member and is adapted to be raised into engagement therewith when sufficient Volta e is applied to transformer windings l3 and 14'. A rod 16, which is rigidly connectedv to the .movable core member 15, projects through an opening 17 in the statlon'ary' core member 15 and is operatively connected to an arm 18 of a pivotally mounted bell-crank lever 9 by means of a pin-and-slot connection 20.

The switching device 8 comprises a central row of stationary contact members 21, 22, 23 and 24, a plurality of parallel rows of stationary contact terminals% to 36, inclusive, and a. plurality of ,parallel rows of cooperating movable contact terminals 37 to 44, inclusive. The movable contact terminals 37 to 40, inclusivc are rigidly .mounted upon and insulated .from a supporting rod 45 and are adapted to cotiperatewith the stationary contact terminals 25. to 30,. inclusive, while. the movableoontact ;tcr-

ininals '41 to .44, inclusive, are similarly 'mountedupon. and insulated from a 'supcontact termina s 31' to 36, inclusive. Each 21] to'24, inclusive, is electrically connected .of r the I central stationary contact members to the adjacent movable contact terminal by means of a flexible conductor 47.

An operating lever 48 forthe mechanism 9 ,is pivotally mounted upon a shaft 49 and r is (provided with'an insulating handle '50 laterally projecting arms 51 and 52.

Q The laterally projecting arms 51'. and 52 -'have"sliding-pin-connections to the'inner ends of pivotally mounted levers 53, the outer ends of which are pivotally cornected to the lower ends of the respective support- -ing rods 45 and 46.

The construct-ion of the sliding-pin-connection just'referred to is such that movement of the supporting rods 45 and 46 is eifectedhonly by a downward movement of the arms 51 and 52, respectively. Thus, only one set of stationary and movable contact terminals may be closedat a time.

The handle 50 of the operating lever .48 is provided with a rccess54 to receive 'a coil sprin 55 and aush button 56, which is attache to one en of a rod 57 having a block 58 secured to its other end. .In'the; neutral position, the block 58 is adapted to rest in'a notch 59 between se cnts'60 and 61. 'The segmcnt'GO is relatively long for the purpose of precluding the possibility of.

locking the operating lever 48 in its left hand or starting position, while the segment 61 is relatively short and is adapted to cooperate with and to lock the operating lever 48 in its right-hand or runnin position by reason of engagement with t e block 58. It will be observed that a pin 62 is pro- -vided in the block 58 for a purpose to-be hereinafter set forth.

Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the switching device Bland the operating mechanism- 9 are only illustrative of types of apparatus which are adapted to perform certain functions, and it is evident that any other suitable devices for accomplishing the same results may be employed. Furthermore, although the motor 1 and the autogtransformer 7 have been shown and described as adapted for twophase operation, it will be understood that said ieces of apparatus may be constructed for tiiree-phase operation as well.

Assuming that the motor 1 is atrest and the various circuit connections and devices occupy the positions shown, the operation of the system is as follows: 1n order'to start the motor '1, the push button 56 is depressed a ainst the action of spring 55,

whereby the block 58 is released from the notch 59, after which the operating lever 48 is moved to its left-hand or start ng potormer winding 13, and

sition. Thus, the supporting rod 45 is raised to effect the engagement of its associated movable contact terminals with their" coiiperating stationary contact terminals,- through the agency of the.arm 51 and the lever"53, as Wlll' bereadily understood. -A circuit isthus'completed from the supply circuit conductor 2, through. a conductor '65, stationary contact terminal 25jand movable contact terminal '37, where the circuit divides: one branch including the stationr ary contact terminal 26 conductor '66, trans conductor 67 to the supply circuit conductor 4, while the other branch traverses flexible conductor 47 stationary contact member 21, conductor 68,

primary winding 10 of motor 1, conductor 69, stationary contact member 22, flexible conductor 47, movable contact terminal 38, stationary cont-act terminal .27 and con-- ductor '69 to an intermediate "tap 70 in the transformer winding 13. -Simultaneousl another circuit is established from supp y circuit conductor 5, through conductor 71 conductor 72, stationary contact terminal 29 and movable contact terminal 40, where 73, transformer winding 14 and conductor 74 to the supply circuit -conductorB, while the-other branch includes flexible conductor 47, stationary contact member 24, conductor 76, a primary winding 10 of the motor 1,

conductor 77, stationary contact terminal 23, flexible conductor 47, movable contact terminal 39, stationary contact terminal 28 and conductor 78 to an intermediatetap 80 infthe transformer winding14.

Upon the completion ofthe circuits just recited, energy is supplied to the transformer windings 13 and 14 and the movable core member 15 is raised into engagement with its cooperating stationary core member 15, according to well-known rinciples, after which the usual-auto-trans ormer acthe circuit divides, one branch traversing stationary contact terminal 30, conductor (ion is established and energy is supplied to the induction motor 1 at a reduced voltage, as will be readily understood. As the movable core member 15 is thus raised into contact with the stationary core member 15,

the free end 18 of the bell-crank lever 19 is raised into the position indicated in dotted lines throu h the agency of the rod 16 and the slot-am? immediately starts and, after having radually come up to synchronous speed, t e op; erating lever 48 1s quickly thrown "into its right-hand or running position, thereby causing the movable contact terminals associated with the supporting rod 46 to engage their coeperating stationar contact terminals in a manner hereinbe ore described in detail. As soon as the operating lever '48 -pin connection 20. The motor 1 ismoved to its running position, the weight 7 of the movable contact terminals associated with the supporting rod 45 causes said rod and associated contact. terminals to fall. to their normal positions, thereby. effecting the separation. o the cooperating stationary and movable contact terminals. In the running position, the spring 55 raises the block 58 into cooperative engagement with the segment 61, whereby the operating lever 48- is locked in-position In the running. position of the operating lever 48, the pin 62- in the-block 58-engages. the underside of thearm 18 of the-bell-crank lever-l9 for purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

As soon as the engagement of the movable contact terminals. associated .with the supporting rod 46 and theirfcoo crating. stationary contact terminals is e ected, a circuit is established from the supply circuit conductor 2, through conductor (55, con- 20 doctor 81', stationary contact terminal 31 and movable contact terminal -41, where the circuit divides; one branch including stationary contact terminal 32, conductor (36, transformer windings 13 and conductor 67 to the supply circuit conductor 4, while the other branch includes flexible conductor 47, stationary contact member 21, conductor 68, primary winding 10'of motor 1, conductor 69, stationary contact member 22-, flexibleconductor 47, movable contact terminal 42,

stationary contact terminal 33, conductor $2, and conductor 67 .to the supply circuit conductor 4. Another circuit is established from 4O ductor 74; to the supply circuit conductor 3,

and the other branch including flexible conductor 47, stationary contact member 24, conductor 7(i,'primary winding 10 of motor 1, conductor 77, stationary contact niember 23, flexible conductor 47, movable contact terminal 43, stationary contact ter-minal'34, conductor 84 and conductor 74 to the supply circuit conductor Inasmuch as the completion of the cireuits just. recited is etl'eeited almost instantly after the interruption of the circuits first established, the anto-trausformer 7 is not deiinergized and its movable core member 15 is retained in engagement with the stationary core member 15. it will be understood the energy is still supplied to the transfm'mer'windings l3 and 14 and the motor connections to said. transformer windings have been. changed, whereby full line voltage is impressed upon the motor 1 and full running conditions are obtained.

If, for any reason, the voltage upon the transformer windings 13 and 14 fails, the core 'structure 12 is deiinergized and the .movable core member 15 is allowed to fall to its normal position, thereby transmitting its motion through the rod 16, bellcrank lever 19 and pin. 62"(0 the block 58 which is forced downwardly out of. engagement with the segment 61, after whichthe :weight of the movable contact terminals associated with the rod 46 causes the operating lever-48 to be returned to its middle or neutral position, as will be readily understood.

Thus it is seen that, according to my invention, I utilize the split core structure as the magnetizable element of the auto-transformer 7 and as an automatic no-voltage release.

Structural modifications may be effected in the various pieces of apparatus hereinbefore shown and described, and I desire that only such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims;

I claim as my invention: Y

1. In a controller for electric motors, the combination with a magnet-izable core structure :omprisin, a stationary and a movable member, energizing windings for said core structure, a switching device, and means for rest-raining said switching device: in its closed position, of means associated with said movable core member for releasing said restraining means under predetermined volt- 5 age conditions.

2. An auto'starter for electric motors comprising cooperating stationary and mov able core members, energizingwindings therefor, a switching device to 'control the circuit connections of said windings and said motor, and means for restraining said switchingdevice in its closed position, and means dependent upon the movement of said movable core. member for releasing said restraining means.

3. The combination with an electric motor, a supply circuit, an auto-transformer having a stationary and a movable core member, and a switching device. for controlling the circuit connections of said motor and said auto-transformer, of mechanical means associated with said movable core member for opening said switching device upon the deiinergization of said .auto-transformer.

4. An auto-transformer comprising a core structure having a stationary member and a normally separated movable member, an energizing winding for said core structure, a switching device for controlling the circuit. connections to said energizing winding, and means associated with said movable core member for opening said switching device when said movable core member occupies its normal position.

5. The combination with an autostarter for electric motors comprising a stationary and a movable. .core member, and exciting windings therefor, of a switching mechanis'm adapted tocontrol the circuit-conned tions of said exciting windings, an operat ng handle for said switchin mechanism, means for locking said handle in its running position, and means dependent -upon the position of said-movable core member for-releasingsaid locking means.

6. Thelcombination with an induction motor, a supply circuit and aswitching device for controlling the connections of said motor, of an auto-starter for decreasing, the

I voltage applied to said'motor during the v.7. In a controller starting operation and comprising normally and means associated with said movable core separated cooperating stationary and movable core members, energizing wmdmgs therefor having intermediate taps therein,

and dependent upon the failure of voltage upon said energizing windings for opening said switching device.

havi a core structure,- energizing windings there or, and va switching device for controlling the circuit connections of said transformer; o fQa magnetizable 'and -movable member formin a part of said -core"struc-" ture and depen ent-for magnetization upon said energizing windings,. and means associated with said movable member for releasing said switching device under prede-, termined electrical conditions of said energizingwvindings. g '8.'The combination with a magnetiza'ble tosa1d for an electric moton, the. combination with an auto-transformer.

core structure and men 'zing windingsevice to controlthe circuit connections of said windings, means for locking said switching device therefor, of a switching closed ,under normal circuit. connections,

and means associated with said core strucf ure for releasing said locking meansunder predetermined circuit conditions. 9. An auto-starter for electric iinoto rt i comprising a magnetizable core structure;

energizing windings therefor, a switching.

device to control. the connections of said -winding's, means for lockin said switching device closed, and means w ereby said core structure and windin s serve as a tic-voltage release for said switc ingdevice. I,

10. The combination with asupply circuit 'an induction motor anda transforming device for reducing the voltagejapplied motor during starting, ofva switching device for controlling the circuit-It'connections of said motor and said transformerldevice an adapted toberestrained in its 'runnmg positionand means whereby said'transforming device serves torelease said switching'device under predetermined conditions so 

